President's Message
They say that ours is the largest PROBUS club in the world! It looks like we're headed towards our self-imposed ceiling of 600 members after a dip during the pandemic. That's a lot of fellowship, friendship, and fun!
Managing such a large membership and organizing all our activities could be an overwhelming task, but our club has invested in some clever online tools. Our previous membership chairs, the Kellars, basically had to give up their living room during membership renewals in December and January to process all the paper forms and cheques. Now, we get an email and with a few clicks and keystrokes we've paid our dues online or registered for a dinner around town.
There is a learning curve on how to do things the new way. Our volunteer organizers are now taking advantage of advanced features available from the online tools. For example, restaurants require that we provide them with everyone's menu selection prior to an event. Organizers love it, because everything is compiled nicely in a report, ready to send to the restaurant. Please bear with us should we accidentally send out premature or incomplete invitations.
We as members can also help to make this a success. Everyone receives their own invitations—even couples sharing an email address. Please do not forward an email invitation to someone else, or use your spouse's email to register. Only register yourself from an invitation addressed to you—by your name. The system knows which member the invitation was actually assigned to, and you don't want to end up registering as the wrong person!
We have had a handful of folks encounter some confusion at events recently, due to creative use of invitations. If in doubt, reach out to the activity organizer, or to our wonderful support volunteers behind beavervalleyprobus@gmail.com.
I wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!
Membership
Pam Weaver & Kathy Mercer
It was wonderful to finally be able to have guests attend our September meeting. Among the guests, we were pleased to welcome a dozen or so people who are in the application process for membership. They had an opportunity to meet with members and experience a membership meeting—and one of them even won the 50-50 draw!
50-50 Draw
Hank & Elaine Bouwman
We were finally able to hold our monthly 50/50 draw at our September 27 monthly speaker meeting. Congratulations to the two winning ticket holders—
Diane Ellis and prospective new member Ted Littlejohn for $53.00 each.
50/50 tickets are on sale at the beginning of each monthly meeting and during the first break.
Membership Meeting - October 25 @ 1:00 PM
Location: Beaver Valley Community Centre and Zoom
Speaker: Tom Bell
Topic: Cycling for Change
Tom Bell went on an incredible, unique journey to celebrate his 65th birthday in 2017. He completed a 13,000 km cycling trip from the top to bottom of South America. In 2019, he cycled again, but down the eastern side of Africa, starting at Cairo for 11,200 km, through 10 countries before finishing in Cape Town.
Tom's presentation will answer the question of why anyone would set out to ride the length of two continents and touch on the challenges and rewards of these adventures. Some of you may recognize Tom from his presence in our area—being an avid skier, golfer, lawn bowler, bridge player and of course—cyclist. As well, Tom was awarded and inducted into the June Callwood Circle of Outstanding Volunteers.
Questions? Please contact:
Nancy Dixon for Meeting registration help
Brenda Rudolf or Kirby Philp for Speaker information
Social Events
Don Collins-Williams, Stella Zahradnik
We have had a busy summer, and were glad to see a good turn out for the Lawn Bowling, Annual Picnic, Sheffield Park Black History Museum Tour and the Golf Tournament. We are now planning events for the rest of the year. Keep a look out for emails announcing upcoming events:
- Royal Agricultural Fair - Bus trip in early November
- Cooking Classes at the Larder in Collingwood
- Meaford Grey Roots Museum - da Vinci Machines exhibit
SAVE THE DATE: 
Holiday Luncheon: Wednesday, December 7
Although the holiday season is a ways off, you will want to mark your calendars now! We plan to hold our Beaver Valley PROBUS Club Holiday Luncheon for the first time in 3 years! It will be held at the Alpine Ski Club—more details to follow, closer to the event...
Golf Tournament Results
Kirby Philp
After a rain out the previous week, we held the Golf Tournament on Monday September 19 @ Highland Glen Golf course in Priceville. The weather cooperated and we had 41 golfers join us for a fun day of golfing. See the photos from the Golf Tournament Slideshow.
The "winning team" was comprised of Jim Scott, Eileen Scott and Joanne Libby. The team Captain, Jim Scott, was presented with the Green Jacket which will become a tradition for future tournaments. It should also be noted that Jim had a “Hole in One” on the 3rd Hole. Congratulations Jim!!!
The "Putting contest winning team" was made up of Vicki Kellar, Marjorie Allin, Lou Fowler and Herbert Quickert. Other contest winners included Nancy Cohen, Robert Gallant—both "future new members", David Allin and Marjorie Allin. Congratulations to all!!!
Thank you to everyone who helped make this a successful and fun day. We look forward to next year’s tournament!
Email Event Invitations
Heather Buscher
Thank you to all the members using the web system invitation emails to register for events - it does make things so much easier for many of the organizers. We have had hundreds of people register successfully for events in the last month, however we also had a few hiccups. Here are a few hints to help you register successfully!
- Don’t forget to hit the “Confirm” button
Some registrations have several windows where you must hit the “Next” button, before getting to the “Confirm” button. Please make sure you hit “Confirm”!
- Look for the Confirmation email immediately after
You will get a "Confirmation" email within a minute or two, with your registration details (name, email and menu choice etc), indicating that your registration was successful. If you don’t receive this email immediately, it means your registration was not completed, and you should try to register again from the email invitation. If you still aren’t sure, reach out to the activity organizer, who can verify if you are registered and give you a hand.
- Look for the Reminder email 24 hours before
A Reminder email is usually sent out 24 hours before the event. If you don't get a reminder email the day before, it is another indication that there was a problem with your registration and you should check with the organizer.
Another item—which is not obvious—please
avoid forwarding email invitations with the green
Register button to anyone else!
- Only hit the Register button if the email is addressed to you
The system knows who each invitation is meant for and you can end up registering as someone else, and/or they can no longer register.
- If you need another copy of the Invitation email, please contact the organizer who can arrange for another one to be sent!
- Each member of a couples membership must register separately.
"One registration" equals "one seat", so registrations can’t be combined. We sometimes use the “guest” option to capture this, but usually only for paid events.
Many thanks for signing-up with the Register button from invitation emails when they come your way. However if you have any difficulty, or know someone without email, please contact the organizer or myself—we are very happy to help!
Activity Groups Update
Colleen Wilson-Dick
Members enjoyed a wide variety of activities this month, with ‘good weather’ sports still going and indoor activities such as games, dining, and more. Thanks to all the activity leaders for organizing interesting events for our club. Your time and effort is most appreciated. A few of the activity groups are looking for new leaders to take over next year. We encourage members to consider taking on that responsibility and are happy to help you get started. Look for details in the next few months as we finalize which activity groups will be needing leaders.
Also, I am looking for another Activity Co-convenor to help me with organizing activities. Please let me know if you are interested! Happy October! Colleen
Computer Group
Martin Buscher
The most recent meeting was held Friday, September 30 where we reviewed what we learned about fraud awareness from our speaker earlier in the week. October's meeting will be held on Monday, October 24, with Google Drive/Docs/Sheets workshop. Bring your own laptop to this one!
Euchre
Elaine & Hank Bouwman
We’re back playing in person! We were finally able to get a group of 8 members to meet at Elaine & Hank’s house for an enjoyable evening of cards after a 3 year absence. George Czerwinski went home with bragging rights for the evening after coming out on top following 7 rounds. Save the dates:
- Tuesday, October 11
- Tuesday, November 8
- Tuesday, December 13
Casual Dining With Friends
Sallie Kedwell, Shellie Smith, Eileen Scott
Fellow Diners—Now that fall is definitely in the air we look forward to our upcoming shared dinners. Please watch your email postings for the following dates: October 27, November 24 and a Holiday Cocktail get together on December 15. To date we have been averaging a steady complement of 30/35 participants at each event but do hope that with the summer vacation commitments and the worst of the Covid months behind us that more of you will feel comfortable in participating. It’s always a pleasure to meet old and new friends over a pleasant shared meal.
Dining Around Town
Hank Bouwman
53 of our members participated in our September 21 dinner at Walter Falls with a 3 course meal. Everyone mingled during the cocktail ½ hour and renewed old acquaintances. Seats were randomly assigned so we got to enjoy meeting new friends during the dinner hour. Our next dinner will be in Meaford on Thursday October 13 and again on October 20. Seating will be limited to 16 members on each date.
Save the dates: The two sessions in October are already "waitlist only".
- Thursday, October 13 Dinner at 5 pm at The Dam Pub in Meaford
- Thursday, October 20 Dinner at 5 pm at The Dam Pub in Meaford
- Wednesday, November 23 Brunch at 10 am at Sheardown’s Wine Bar in Meaford
Hiking
Ilene Rushefsky Charland
The hiking group enjoyed hikes near Meaford this month. We were lucky to have Robert Burcher as the leader on the Trout Hollow trail, providing fascinating information about John Muir, the history, fauna and flora of the area. Dennis Knight shared his extensive knowledge of the Bruce trail, leading two hikes on the escarpment west of Meaford, pointing out rare ferns and other plants. Be sure to check out the photos on our Hiking Slideshow. We look forward to a few more hikes in October to finish off the season.
Backroads Cycling
June Dalton
This past summer’s riding was fun-filled and not without some excitement. As of this Thursday we will have enjoyed 20 rides as a group. Lots of interesting stories were shared along the county roads. Many kilometres were covered, new friendships were made and several butter tarts were consumed all over the county! The rides provided us with new adventures and lots of fun challenges. Last week’s ride began with the thermometer registering 7 degrees Celsius—We called it balmy! As this season draws to a close, there is an element of sadness. I will miss our Thursday morning rides. See our slideshow for photos of our last ride! Back Roads Cyclists—I look forward to riding with you next Spring. Hope to see all of you back in the saddle in 2023.
Ramblers
Nancy Dixon
Well, our Ramblers certainly have been consistent this year. Thanks to all who have attended and made our outings so enjoyable. We have progressed from walking with masks throughout Covid to blazing new trails including our walk on the Old Mail Road, which is still in its original state. We hope to revisit our Eugenia walk to experience the fall colours. More info to follow.
For those members who don't like the cold, we are able to join the walkers at the Beaver Valley Community Centre, Thornbury on Mondays and Thursdays 9:00 am to 10:30 am. (Music included). Just drop in. Look for our event emails to be part of our rambles. Anyone new who wants to join—just register for the activity and you will get our event emails or contact Nancy Dixon. The latest photos are also posted on the Ramblers Slideshow!
Ski Legends
Louise Armstrong
Don't miss out! Deadlines are approaching and space is filling up fast. The deadline to book Snowmass, CO is October 5. If you miss the deadline, unbooked space will be released. The 7 night trip to Sun Peaks, BC has only 2 spots left, so book NOW!
- Sun Peaks, BC: Staying at at the ski-in, ski-out Sun Peaks Grand Hotel. 7 nights Feb 5-12 starting at $2635 per person, or 10 nights Feb 5-15 starting at $3365 per person.
- Snowmass, Aspen, Colorado: Back by popular demand, Feb 25-Mar 4, staying at the Stonebridge Inn at the base of Snowmass. Prices start at $3380 per person including a 5 day senior ski pass.
You must be a PROBUS member, as well as a member of Ski Legends, to register. Complete information on both ski trips and the membership application is available on the Ski Legends website at http://probusskilegends.ca/ski-trips/.
Travel
Gloria Thompson
People are showing great interest for the Highlands and Islands of Scotland trip and I think we will have our numbers. Trip dates are Saturday, May 13, 2023 returning Sunday, May 28, 2023. Due to the crazy hikes in fuel, politics, massive currency swings, etc we don't have a price yet…..but PROBUS members are really keen now, so it is looking very GOOD. Blocking space to Glasgow on AIR TRANSAT is more expensive due to fuel problems, but not overly crazy. Stay tuned… Feel free to call me with any questions. Gloria 705 429 9455
Photo Corner
Shared by Lucie Desjardins
Humour Corner
Shared by Hank Bouwman
Nominating Committee
Caroline Bacher, Ilene Rushefsky-Charland, Elsbeth Wright
Your PROBUS Club has exciting opportunities for you. If you have computer skills, enjoy meeting new people and like working with a dynamic energetic team, please contact any of the Nominating Committee listed above. We are always looking for people who have ideas to assist us in keeping our Club vibrant and fun! You can make a difference!
The Master Gardener’s Corner
Our Master Gardener's Corner by
John Hethrington, Past President, Master Gardeners of Ontario, has moved online. Look for the Gardening Tips on our web
Homepage (scroll down on the right-hand side) or
click here to see what you need to be doing in your garden in October.
Support Group
Lucie Desjardins, Maureen Lalonde, Mary Ann Collins-Williams
Did you hear of a BVPC member who is having a difficult time (health issue, accident, hospitalization, loss of partner, etc.) and would benefit from receiving a card or a call from our team? If so, please let us know. We will be happy to follow up and/or get in touch with them.
In Memoriam
Helga Chapman passed away in early September. She was formerly an active member of the PROBUS Casual Dining Group and the Bruce Trail. Sincere condolences to her husband Don and their family.
The Last Word
At every party there are two kinds of people—those who want to go home and those who don’t. The trouble is, they are usually married to each other... Ann Landers
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| Please be advised that all events and activities of the Beaver Valley PROBUS Club are organized for the benefit and enjoyment of its Members. Individuals who participate do so at their own risk and are responsible for their own safety. |
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Beaver Valley Probus Club